Scored wallboard



Feb. 16, 1943. H. FEDER 2,311,590

SCORED WALLBOARD Filed June 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Feb. 16,1943. FEDER 2,311,590

SCORED WALLBOARD Filed June 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 16,1943 2,311,590 SCORED WALLBOARD Harry Feder, Jackson Heights, N. Y.,

Barclay Manufacturing Co. Inc.,

assignor to New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 26, 1941, Serial No.399,954

13 Claims.

This invention relates to scored wallboard and more particularly towallboard which is scored or grooved and covered with a coating materialto simulate a tiled wall or other surface design.

Scored wallboard has heretofore been made by cutting grooves in fibrousbase sheets and coating the surface of the grooved base sheet with asuitable paint, lacquer or enamel material. The enamel coating of suchtileboard as heretofore made has had a decided tendency to wear away atthe mortar simulating grooves or joints when subjected to normal wear orvariations in heat, cold, moisture and dryness normally present inlocations where such grooved wallboard is installed. This wearing orscaling of the enamel adjacent the grooves may be attributed to a numberor combination of causes. For example, where sharp edges or bends arepresent in or adjacent the grooves the enamel coating will spreadrelatively thin thereover, presenting weak points along which the enamelcoating wears off. Further, the coating is often less securely bondedwithin or adjacent the groove areas than along the fiat surfaces of thewallboard, so that the enamel coating is weakest and less secure at thevery points where the strongest bond is desired.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved decoratedwallboard wherein the grooves thereof closely simulate the mortar jointsof well laid wall tile and which grooves comprise a series of rounded orcurved surfaces which join one another and the fiat surfaces of the basematerial in smooth and rounded curves free from any definable bends oredges.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved decoratedwallboard having grooves defined by curved surfaces to which an enamelcoat- Gil ing is firmly cemented and bonderized to present a coatingthickness at the grooves which is greater than the enamel coatingapplied to the flat sur-z.

' faces of the board.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved decoratedwallboard presenting smoothly curved grooves simulating mortar jointshaving multiple enamel coatings covering the original features ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth andclaimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthis invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appendedhereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and themanner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood byreferring to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which Fig. 1 is a planview of a section of my improved wallboard showing portions thereof asthey appear at various stages of manufacture from the wallboard base tothe finished product;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through thebaseboard material prior to treatment thereof, this section being takenalong line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is anenlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through thebaseboard material showing a primer coat applied thereto, as it appearswhen viewed along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through thewallboard, showing the cross-sectional shape of the grooves which arecut into the base material, this view being taken along line 4-4 of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the wallboard afterthe bonderizing material has been applied to the bottom of the grooveand adjacent the shoulder portions thereof, this view being taken alongline 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. Bis an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through thewallboard as viewed along line 5-6 of Fig. 1, this view showing thefinishing layer of the selected paint, lacquer or enamel appliedthereto; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the finishedwallboard as it appears when viewed along the line (-1 of Fig. 1, showing the striping applied to the bottom area of the groove.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings and the specification.

In the manufacture of tileboard, a base sheet is selected which hassubstantial strength and which presents a face surface which issubstantially smooth, level and is free from warps, waves or othersurface irregularities. While there are numerous fiberboard .and sheetproducts available which can be used for this purpose, the materialcommonly used is a board made from pressed fiberboard which is hard,dense and grainless having a high finish on the surfacing side thereof.This base material commonly used is approximately only one-eighth of aninch thick, which thickness is amply sufilcient for the manufacture oftiieboard, although base material of greater thickness may be employed.As shown in the drawings, this base sheet I is so made as to present atop surface 2 which has a high finish and is substantially smooth andlevel and substantial free from surface waves, undulations orirregularities. Th'e finishing paints, lacquers or enamels, as willhereinafter be more fully described, are applied to the finished surface2 of the base sheet. The opposite surface 3 of the base sheet, which isto be positioned adjacent the wall to which the board is applied, maypresent a surface roughness so that adhesives or like materials appliedthereto will firmly bond and secure the tileboard to the wall to whichit is to be applied. a

A primer coat I is first applied to the finished surface 2 of thebaseboard illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, as step b. This primer coat maycomprise a urea or phenolic resin mixed with a suitable pigment, avolatile solvent and resin oil. The pigments used in the primer coatpreferably have a color which corresponds to the color of the finishcoat later applied and the primer coat is so constituted as to be quickdrying and may contain appropriate drier material. It is important thatthe primer coat be so compounded and applied that it will becometenaciously bonded to the surface 2 of the base material. The primercoat 8 penetrates the surface of the board and fills any surfacedepressions in the board surface 2. The primer coat is deposited in athin film and does not measurably increase the board thickness.

In the next operation, designated c, the base sheet I is grooved, whichoperation is performed after the primer coat 8 has dried. The shape andcontour of this groove, as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4,forms an important feature of this invention. The shoulder portions 4 ofeach groove are each defined by a true are of an imaginary circleindicated at B in Fig. 4, whose diameters closely approximate thethickness of the base sheet i. The upper ends of these circular arcs aretangent to the adjacent flat primer filled surfaces 2 of the base sheetso that the arcuate shoulder surfaces 4 merge into the primer filledsurfaces 2 in an unbroken line. centers of the imaginary circles G arespaced apart a distance indicated as g which is approximately one andone-half to two times the thickness of the base sheet l. Assuming thatthe base sheet i is approximately one-eighth of an inch thick, thedistance 3! between the center of the imaginary circles 8 would measurefrom threeslxteenths to one-fourth of an inch, or approximately i of aninch.

The trough portion of the groove is defined by a true are of animaginary circle 1 whose diameter is approximately that of the imaginarycircles Ii and whose periphery is tangent to the circles 6. The centerof the imaginary circle 1 is preferably positioned on a level with orslightly above the surface 2 of the base sheet, so that the maximumdepth of the arcuate trough portion 5, as indicated by x, will be notgreater than and preferably slightly less than the radius of theimaginary circle 1. Assuming that the base sheet I is approximatelyone-eighth of an inch in thickness, the depth a: of the groove will benot The' trough portion of the groove.

an inch, or approximately A of an inch. It will be noted that the grooveas thus formed is composed of three circular arcs of approximately thesame radius, which merge into each other in true tangency'. The groovesthus formed will closely simulate in appearance the mortar Joints of aceramic tile wall when perfectly laid. Due to the accurate tangency ofthe circular arcs with one another and with the primer filled surfaces 2of the base sheet I, no edges are presented which would cause thefinishing enamel applied thereto to break or deteriorate in use. Thegrooving operation is performed by means of a suitable grooving tool.

The surfaces of the grooves are then coated with a bonderizing material9 at step d, as indicated in Fig. 5. This bonderizing material isapplied in a manner to fully coat the arcuate surfaces! and I of thegroove and overlap the adjacent edges of the primer coat 8. Thebonderizing agent may be formed of substantially the same composition asthe finishing or enamel coat l0, and preferably contains the samecolored pigments. The bonderizing coat 9 is substantially thicker thanthe primer coat 8 and will tenaciously adhere to the ground arcuatesurfaces 4 and 5 of the groove and to the edges of the primer coat 8.

After the bonderizing coating 9 has been applied to all of the groovesin the base sheet, the bonderizing coating is permitted to dry or hardeneither in the open air or in a drying oven. When dried and hardened, thebonderizing coat 9 will tenaciously adhere to the surface of the groovesand will not chip or crack since all the edges of the groove are smoothand rounded.

In the next step, designated e, the enamel layer I 0 is applied smoothlyand evenly to the entire surface of the board. The enamel layer maycomprise one or more coat applications. While the finishing coat l0may'comprise materials such as lacquers and paints which give a hardwear resistant surface finish, enamels are particularly suitable. Theenamed coat ill may be compounded from a base of urea or phenolic resincontaining the desired coloring pigment and a vehicle comprisingvolatile solvents and resin oil. Enameling material which has been foundto be highly satisfactory for this purpose comprises a mixture of ureaformaldehyde of the maleic and hydrid types combined withglycerophthalate and coloring pigment. The bonderizingcoat 9, asheretofore explained, may be formed of the same material and shouldcontain the same coloring pigments as the enamel coat i0. After theenamel coat 10 has been uniformly applied in the manner above described,it is dried and hardened.

when the enamel layer has been satisfactorily hardened, the grooves ofthe base sheet are striped as indicated at step I. The stripe ii isapplied to the enamel coating I'll which lies in the This stripingmaterial may possess the same composition as the enamel coating ill,except that a coloring pigment of contrasting color is generallycontained in the striping material, so that the bottoms of the grooveswill reveal the desired line contrast. After the stripe coating II hasbeen suitably hardened, the enameled surface of the base sheet may berubbed down so as to give the surface a smooth finish and a high polish.

greater than 1 of an inch and not less than %4 of The tileboard as thusformed presents a multiple thickness of enameling lacquer within thetrough portion and around the shoulder portions of each groove, as moreparticularly illustrated in Fig. 7. The initial bcnderizer coat 9 coversnot only the trough portion and the shoulders l of each groove butoverlaps and is bonded to the edges of the primer coat 8. The bonderizercoat I has an extremely tenacious bond 'with the bottom of. the groovedue to the roughness of the surfaces of the groove caused by the tearingeffect of the cutting tool. Since the enamel coating in is composed ofsubstantially the same material as the bonderizing coat 9, it merges andintegrally unites therewith. The exterior surface of the covering enamellayer I0 is, however, smooth over all areas thereof, including thoseareas of the enamel layer III which extend into the grooves. Thus ahighly attractive and fluished groove surface is attained. The enamelsurfaces within and over the shoulders of the grooves are doublyreinforced, producing a groove joint which will actually outlast andoutwear the enamel coating covering the fiat surfaces of the board.

It will be further noted that since the grooves are shaped by a seriesof joined circular arcs which are tangential to one another and to thefiat primer coated surfaces of the board, the bonderizing layer 9 andthe finishing or enamel layer l0 may be applied in uniform thicknessthroughout the trough portion and shoulder portion of the groove andthat no sharp bends or-edges are in, each groove having a curved troughportion whose ends join and are tangent. to curved shoulder portionswhose extreme ends merge into present about which the enamel might breakor crack. The grooves as thus formed also present highly polished,finished surfaces which truly simulate in appearance and form the mortarjoints of skillfully laid ceramic tile. A highly attractive wall tile isthus produced which will outwear and outlast tileboard heretoforeproduced.

It will be appreciated that while the thickness of the-primer coat 8,bonderizing coat 9, finishing enamel coat Ill, and the striping coat I Iare shown in Figs. 4 to '7 of the drawings substantially thicker incomparison to the thickness of the base sheet I than would normally bethe case. in actual practice the coatings have thus been magnified forpurposes of illustration only. In actual practice the thickness of eachcoat is. of course. determined by the character of the coating materialemployed.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosedherein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understoodthat various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: l

l. A wallboard having a fiat surface provided with grooves therein, thecross-sectional contour of each groove being formed by a series of threetangent circular arcs presenting an arcuate shaped trough portionmerging into arcuate shaped shoulder portions which merge into the fiatsurface of the wallboard.

2. A wallboard having a flat finished surface with spaced groovestherein, each groove having a curved trough portion whose ends join andare tangent to curved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge intoand are tangent to the adjacent flat finished surface of the wallboardwhereby the fin shed surface of the wallboard presents only straight andcurved surfaces which merge into one another without the presence ofsharp bends or edges.

3. A wallboard having a wearing face comprising a fiat surface withspaced grooves there and are tangent to the adjacent fiat surface of thewallboard whereby said wearing face of the wallboard presents onlystraight and curved surfaces which merge into one another withoutthepresence of sharp bends or edges, a coating applied to the fiat surface,and a coating applied to the trough' and shoulder portions of saidgrooves which is thicker than the coating applied to said flatsurface.

4. A tileboard comprising a base sheet havin alayer of coating materialapplied to a finished face thereof, said base sheet having grooves insaid face simulative of the mortar joints of a tiled wall, each groovehaving a curved trough portion whose ends join and are tangent to curvedshoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into and are tangent to theadjacent finished face of the base sheet, the portions of saidt coatinglayer in said grooves being thicker than the portions of said coatinglayer on said finished face of the base sheet.

5. A wallboard having spaced grooves in a finished surface thereof, thecross-sectional contour of each groove being defined by three joinedarcs -of three circles which are of approximately the same diameter andone of which is tangent to the other two, said diameter beingsubstantially equal to the thickness of thewallboard, and said threearcs together defining a curved trough portion whose ends join and aretangent to curved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into andare tangent to said finished surface of the wallboard.

6. A wallboard having spaced grooves in a finished surface thereof, thecross-sectional contour of each groove being defined by three joinedarcs of three circles which are of approximately the same diameter andone of which is tangent to the other two, said diameter beingsubstantially equal to the thickness of the wallboard with said twocircles having their centers approximately in the midline of thewallboard and spaced apart a distance approximately one and one-half totwo times the thickness of the wallboard, and said three arcs togetherdefining a curved trough portion whose ends Join and are tangenttocurved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into and are tangentto the finished surface of the wallboard.

7. A wallboard having spaced grooves in a finished surface thereof, thecross-sectional contour of each groove being defined by three joinedarcs of three circles which are of approximately the same diameter andone of which is tangent to the other .two, said diameter beingsubstantially equal to the thickness of the wallboard with said twocircles having their centers approximately in the midline of thewallboard, the center of the first named circle being approximately inthe plane of the finished surface, and said three arcs defining a curvedtrough portion whose ends join and are tangent to curved shoulderportions whose extreme ends merge into and are tangent to the finishedsurface of the wallboard.

8. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spacedgrooves in a fiat, finished surface thereof, said urface having appliedthereto a primer coating, said grooves and the adjacent shoulderportions thereof having a bonderizing coating substantially thicker thansaid primer coating covering the trough portion and the shoulderportions of each groove and overlapping the adjacent edges of the primercoating, and a finishing enamel coating covering said bonderizingcoating and said primer coating.

9. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spacedgrooves in a. finished surface thereof simulative of the mortar jointsof a tiled wall, said surface having applied thereto a primer coating,said grooves and the adjacent shoulder portions thereof having an enamelcoating substantially thicker than said primer coating covering thetrough portion and the shoulder portions of each groove and overlappingthe adjacent edges of the primer coating, and a second enamel coating ofsubstantially uniform thickness covering said first enamel coating andsaid primer coating.

10. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spacedgrooves in a finished surface thereof, the finished surface of said basesheet having applied thereto a primer coating, said grooves and theadjacent shoulder portions thereof having an enamel coating thicker thansaid primer coating covering the trough portion and the shoulderportions of each groove and overlapping the adjacent edges of the primercoating, a finishing enamel coating of approximately' the samecomposition and color as said first mentioned enamel coating uniformlycovering said first mentioned coating and said primer coating, and astripe coating applied to the second mentioned enamel coating in thetrough portion of each groove.

11. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spacedgrooves in a fiat surface thereof simulative of the mortar joints of atiled wall, each groove being formed by three joined curved arcspresenting an arcuate-shaped trough portion merging into arcuate-shapedshoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into layer, and said groovehaving the trough and shoulder portions thereof covered by an enamellayer substantially thicker than the enamel layer applied to said fiatsurface.

12. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spacedgrooves in a fiat surface thereof simulative of the mortar joints of atiled wall, each groove being formed by three joined circular arcs oneof which is tangent to the other two and said other two being tangent tothe flat surface of the base sheet, said surface having applied theretoa primer coat and a finishing enamel layer superimposed thereon, saidgrooves having the trough and shoulder portions thereof covered by auniform layer of finishing enamel of the same color which is of greaterthickness than the enamel layer applied to said flat surface, said lastmentioned enamel layer being tenaciously bonded'to the surfaces of thegrooves and to the finishing enamel layer applied to the fiat surface ofsaid base sheet.

13. An improved tileboard comprising afibrous base sheet having spacedgrooves in a finished surface thereof simulative of the mortar joints ofa tiled wall, each groove being formed by three joined circular arcs oneof which is tangent to the other two and said other two being tangent tothe finished surface of the base sheet, said finished surface havingapplied thereto a primer coating and a superimposed finishing enamelcoating, said grooves having the trough and shoulder portions thereofcovered by a plurality A of separately applied finishing enamel coatingsof the same color which are tenaciously bonded to the surfaces of thegrooves and to one another and the finishing enamel coating applied tothe surface of said base sheet, whereby a multiple thickness enamellayer covers the trough portion and shoulder portions of each groovehaving the flat surface of the base sheet, the fiat surface 40 wearingqualities equal to or greater than the of said base sheet having appliedthereto a primer coating and a superimposed finishing enamel coatingapplied to the surface of the base sheet.

, HARRY FEDER.

